How to Boss The Time Management Part of Running a Small Business
When you run a small business, you take on all the roles from CEO to the office cleaner. Even if you get to dedicate yourself to your business full time, that can prove difficult to fit into a working day. If you are juggling your small business with a full time job and a family, it can seem an absolute impossibility! Trust me. I know. That’s exactly what I do with Afrotouch Design. So, if you need any help on how to boss the time management part of running a business, you have come to the right place.
You can’t do everything and be everything to everyone, so bear that in mind. Managing time doesn’t mean you neglect parts of your business. It means that you use your time more effectively and help yourself become a more efficient and less stressed small business owner, which makes you a better small business owner. Here are some methods to achieve that.
The Time Management Tips You Need
1) Plan Ahead
Having a plan for the week gives you structure and a reference point to check back on to understand where you are on each of your projects. It prevents you having to stop and waste time during the week searching frantically through emails and notes to work out what needs to happen now and what goes next.
Before the week starts, sit down and plot the deadlines and other deliverables that you have. If you have a big presentation on Wednesday, for example, dedicate Monday and Tuesday to research and preparation. Any of your important admin tasks can be left to Thursday and Friday, so you don’t keep distracting yourself with tasks that take you away from your prep. Distractions kill your momentum and make you less efficient. It is much easier to keep going once you are into a task, rather than keeping stopping and starting something else. Planning ahead helps you remain on task.
2) Try Time Blocking
If you are still having trouble with the time management of your tasks because you keep getting pulled over to other jobs, try time blocking. This is where you reserve periods of your time solely for one project or type of project. If you look at your daily planner and see these blocks represented visually, it gives you the reminder you need to knuckle down. You can also see that you will not be grafting all day at it so you don’t need to fit other jobs around it. Concentrate until the end of the blocked window and then move onto your other tasks.
3) Understand What Distracts You
Many small business owners are distracted by other work they feel they should be doing, but there are also external forces that can knock your concentration too. It might be news websites that you find yourself browsing around when you should be working, it could be your various WhatsApp groups pinging or you may find yourself scrolling your Twitter timeline when you should be hard at work.
Whatever it is for you, there are steps you can take. Keeping only the tabs open that you really need for work is a good start. You can mute your WhatsApp notifications during working hours and either download an app that limits your social media time or at least move the apps from the front page of your phone so they are not there to tempt you.
4) Be Brave and Delegate
Yes, your small business is your baby, but don’t let that prevent you from seeking help. You need some time off, some time away from the computer and that is sometimes only possible by delegating tasks.
Not only does it help you manage your time better, but it also allows you to bring in expertise that you might not otherwise have access to. Using freelancers or virtual assistants for marketing, admin, website design or any other aspect of business means that you get a professional job done and you only pay per task, you don’t have to go to the expense and commitment of hiring someone permanently.
The Time Management Products You Need
If you are looking to boss the time management aspects of running a small business, we have the products you need. Our African-inspired daily and weekly planners, as well as our notebooks, are the perfect tools you need to help you work in a more efficient and productive manner.